SON vs ATR vs SEE vs SLGN vs GPK

For growth investors, Sonoco Products Company (SON) is the stronger pick with 41.

7% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -2. 2% for Graphic Packaging Holding Company (GPK). Graphic Packaging Holding Company (GPK) offers the better valuation at 7. 5x trailing P/E (13. 0x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Sonoco Products Company (SON) a "Buy" — based on 21 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On trailing P/E, Graphic Packaging Holding Company (GPK) is the cheapest at 7.

5x versus AptarGroup, Inc. at 21. 3x. On forward P/E, Sonoco Products Company is actually cheaper at 8. 8x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: Sonoco Products Company wins at 0. 62x versus Sealed Air Corporation's 9. 73x — a PEG below 1. 0 traditionally signals the market is underpricing earnings growth.

Over the past 5 years, Silgan Holdings Inc.

(SLGN) delivered a total return of +1. 4%, compared to -33. 2% for Graphic Packaging Holding Company (GPK). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: ATR returned +83. 3% versus SEE's +4. 4%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Sealed Air Corporation (SEE) is the lower-risk stock at 0.

32β versus Graphic Packaging Holding Company's 0. 88β — meaning GPK is approximately 171% more volatile than SEE relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, AptarGroup, Inc. (ATR) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 56% versus 3% for Sealed Air Corporation — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Sonoco Products Company (SON) is pulling ahead at 41.

7% versus -2. 2% for Graphic Packaging Holding Company (GPK). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Sonoco Products Company grew EPS 141. 2% year-over-year, compared to -31. 5% for Graphic Packaging Holding Company. Over a 3-year CAGR, SON leads at 8. 7% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

AptarGroup, Inc.

(ATR) is the more profitable company, earning 10. 4% net margin versus 4. 4% for Silgan Holdings Inc. — meaning it keeps 10. 4% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: ATR leads at 13. 6% versus 9. 5% for SON. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — SEE leads at 29. 8%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.

The PEG ratio (forward P/E divided by expected earnings growth rate) is the most precise measure of undervaluation relative to growth potential.

By this metric, Sonoco Products Company (SON) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 0. 62x versus Sealed Air Corporation's 9. 73x. A PEG below 1. 0 is traditionally considered the threshold for growth-adjusted undervaluation. On forward earnings alone, Sonoco Products Company (SON) trades at 8. 8x forward P/E versus 22. 5x for AptarGroup, Inc. — 13. 6x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for ATR: 35. 6% to $169. 67.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Sonoco Products Company (SON) offers the highest yield at 4. 0%, versus 1. 4% for AptarGroup, Inc. (ATR).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Sealed Air Corporation (SEE) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.

32), 1. 9% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (SEE: +4. 4%, GPK: +12. 8%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.

These companies operate in different sectors (SON (Consumer Cyclical) and ATR (Healthcare) and SEE (Consumer Cyclical) and SLGN (Consumer Cyclical) and GPK (Consumer Cyclical)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced.

In terms of investment character: SON is a small-cap high-growth stock; ATR is a small-cap quality compounder stock; SEE is a small-cap deep-value stock; SLGN is a small-cap deep-value stock; GPK is a small-cap deep-value stock. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.